NJPW – G1 Climax 28 – Day 8 – July 26th, 2018

On night Eight of this year’s G1 Climax tournament we have another night of B Block action, headlined by Kota Ibushi vs Sanada, also on this show is IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs IWGP US Heavyweight champion Juice Robinson.

Night eight is B Block action with the A Block in tag matches to start the show, setting up singles matches for night Nine.

Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado vs Ren Narita & Michael Elgin

Suzuki-gun jump Elgin and Narita to start the match. Suzuki and Elgin fight at ringside while Narita and El Desperado are legal in the ring. Suzuki takes Elgin to the fans and chokes Elgin with a chair. Suzuki then threatens to attack the press as they cower. In the ring, Suzuki tags in and Ren Narita gives Suzuki everything in chops to the chest but Suzuki laughs at him and hits an elbow which flattens the Young lion. Elgin saves his tag partner by elbowing Suzuki which rocks him, Elgin tags in and Suzuki and Elgin go strike for strike. Suzuki goes for the GSP but Elgin backdrops Suzuki to get out. They both tag out and El Desperado quickly gets the Boston Crap on Narita but he gets to the ropes. Narita fires up with a small package and a roll up but El Desperado hits his finisher as Elgin and Suzuki fight at ringside. Winners Suzuki-gun.

Thoughts – This was a fun tag match and Elgin is looking good, I’m intrigued to see the outcome of their match tomorrow.

EVIL & BUSHI vs Hangman Page & Chase Owens

Hangman and EVIL kick this off as their match is tomorrow. They start with big clotheslines and shoulder tackles but neither one goes down. Chase tags in and so does BUSHI. This match doesn’t go too long and in the finishing moments, Chase picked up EVIL for the package Piledriver but nearly dropped him, Chase then went for the “Jewel Hiest” but EVIL turned it around for an Everything is EVIL for the win. Winners LIJ, EVIL and BUSHI.

Thoughts – Hangman looked good here and even had some support in the crowd. Short match but good set up for tomorrow.

Tonga Loa and Bad Luck Fale vs Switchblade Jay White & YOH

This started off with Fale and Jay White as Jay tries to fight with more heart but when YOH gets tagged in, Fale takes White into the crowd as they brawl. YOH fights hard against Tonga Loa but in the end Tonga hits his butterfly sit down Piledriver style finisher for the win as Fale keeps Jay White at bay on the ramp. After the match Switchblade didn’t go back for YOH and left YOH laying in the ring surrounded by Tonga Loa and Bad Luck Fale. Winners Tonga Loa and Bad Luck Fale.

Thoughts – Jay White started trying to be more honourable but ended up walking out on his partner, exclaiming that he still has a lot of change to come if he is going to be fully honourable.

Tanahashi & David Finlay vs Togi Makabe & Henare

This is setting up Togi Makabe vs Hiroshi Tanahashi tomorrow in A Block action, also this is a preview of the C Block match we will get on the final night. The C Block is only two people, Finlay and Henare and they will only have one match. This was a good showing for Finlay and Henare. Tanahashi and Togi Makabe fight at ringside when Finlay hits a Stunner on Henare for the win. Winners Hiroshi Tanahashi & David Finlay.

YOSHI-HASHI & SHO vs Kazuchika Okada & Gedo

Okada seems to be working heel in this match as he attacks SHO and YOSHI-HASHI when SHO hits a dropkick. Okada then throws YOSHI-HASHI into the barrier hard. SHO looked great in this match and he picked up the win, pinning Gedo with the Shock Arrow, a crossarmed Piledriver. Good match and Kazuchika Okada hasn’t got over his change yet, he’s acting strange still. Winners YOSHI-HASHI & SHO.

G1 Climax tournament Matches

Yano vs Hirooki Goto

Yano goes straight back to his dirty tricks with taking off the corner pads before the bell, for the first couple of minutes Yano rolls up Got getting multiple nearfalls but Goto fired back, hitting a GTR very early for the win. Winner, with four points, Goto.

Thoughts – Very quick match, not much thoughts.

Tama Tonga W Tonga Loa vs Tetsuya Naito

This starts slow with Tetsuya Naito trying to get Tonga Loa sent to the back but as Tonga volunteers to head to the back, Tama Tonga attacks Naito from behind, Tonga Loa then comes back to ringside. It only takes a few minutes for Tonga Loa to get involved, shoving Naito into the barrier. In the ring Tama takes over. Behind the refs back, Tonga Loa hits Tetsuya Naito with a powerbomb on the ramp and puts him in the ring for a nearfall. Naito goes for a Destino on Tama but Tama throws Naito into the ref. After that, it all broke down with Tonga Loa, Bad Luck Fale, EVIL and BUSHI making their way to the ring to intervene on behalf of their faction partner. Naito wins with a Destino. Winner Naito.

Zack Sabre Jr vs Tomohiro Ishii

This starts with Some technicalwrestling with Ishii showing he can wrestle with Zack and has the power advantage but Taka gives Zack advice which leads to Zack pie facing Ishii so Ishii chops Zack back into the ropes. Zack comes back with targeting the arm of Ishii. Ishii has his fingers tapped up with Zack plays with in an arm lock. Ishii fights back while holding his arm. Ishii fights with his signature power moves and headbutts but Zack catches Ishii with submission after submission but Ishii makes it to the ropes. Zack tries kicks but that just pisses Ishii off, Zack goes for an inside cradle but Ishii reverses into a brainbuster which Zack reverses. Zack has Ishii in a head and arm triangle, which Ishii powerbombsout of but Zack turns it into an armbar. Ishii TAPS OUT to the armbar. Winner with another two points, Zack Sabre Jr.

Kenny Omega vs Juice Robinson

This starts with a hand shake. These two wrestle for a few minutes with leap frogs, headlock takeovers and arm locks. Juice gets thrown out of the ring but when Kenny goes for the Rise of the Terminator, Juice hits a spear through the ropes. They both end up at ringside and tease a few different spots but Juice hits a suplex on the mats. Back in the ring Juice hits Kenny with chops until his chest bleeds. This all turned around when Juice went for a cannonball in three corner and Omega moved, Juice landed on his neck. Kenny eventually hits targets the broken hand of Juice with a look on his fave that says he wishes he didn’t have to. Deep into the match, Kenny goes for a One Winged Angel but Juice hits a Juice Box and Kenny kicks out at two. Kenny hits two more V-triggers then goes for another One Winged Angel and Juice reverses into a roll up pin but Kenny kicks out at 2 and 9/10, really good nearfall. Then Kenny hit a another V-trigger and a One Winged Angel for the win. Winner Kenny Omega.

Sanada vs Kota Ibushi

The crowd was very split for these two, very loud but very split. The difference between a Japanese crowd and western crowd is the battle chants you would hear from a Japanese crowd is two sides trying to be louder than the other at the same time, this can make the chants very loud. Sanada and Kota start very fast and technical with the first attempt from both to get the upper hand ending in a 50/50 showing. Ibushi hits a rana out of nowhere which leads to Sanada rolling outside when Kota goes for a cross slash which Sanada moves and gets the Skull End on the outside, dragging Kota up the ramp an hitting a dropkick to the knee. They make their way back to the ring. They have a striking battle which Kota seems to win but this is a very back and forth match as both wrestlers reverse each other’s moves. Kota hits a fantastic Moonsalt from the second rope to the outside on Sanada. These two go back and forth with everything they’ve got, reversing almost everything until Sanada hits Kota with his own move, the Lawn Dart into the corner. Minutes later they are both down for an extended time but they slowly get up, while forearming each other. Kota hits a last ride powerbomb but Sanada kicks out for a great nearfall. Ibushi knee pad, teasing the Kamigoye but Sanada hooks in the Skull End but Ibushi doesn’t tap so Sanada jumps up to the top rope and hits a huge Moonsalt for a pinfall victory and two points. Winner, at six points, Sanada.

The points in this G1 Climax tournament at this point.

A Block

Jay White – 6

Hiroshi Tanahashi – 6

Michael Elgin – 4

Hangman Page – 2

Togi Makabe – 4

Kazuchika Okada – 4

Minoru Suzuki – 4

EVIL – 6

Bad Luck Fale – 2

YOSHI-HASHI – 2

B Block

Tomohiro Ishii – 4

Tama Tonga – 2

Hirooki Goto – 4

Kenny Omega – 8

Kota Ibushi –4

Toru Yano – 2

Juice Robinson – 0

Sanada – 6

Zack Sabre Jr – 4

Tetsuya Naito – 6

I will have results from EVERY NIGHT of the G1 Climax this year so don’t hesitate to bookmark this site. See you for the next night of G1 action here.